


Hallelujah

by genderfluid_pigeon



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-18
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-16 18:55:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13060092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/genderfluid_pigeon/pseuds/genderfluid_pigeon
Summary: Tony Stark was twenty-one when he bought his mother her last Christmas present. What happens when he gives it to his daughter?





	1. Chapter 1

_ And love is not a victory march _

_ It’s a cold and it’s a broken  _

_ H a l l e l u j a h _

~~~

Maria woke up to her dad already being up before her. The little twelve year old had walked out, ready to wake up her dad for once in her life to find him already sipping his coffee as he worked on a design or another. She stomped her feet and whined high in her throat.

Her dad looked up from his tablet and smiled at her holding out a finger and humming as he picked up a mug, saying “It’s hot cocoa. I figure you’d want some when you woke up.”

She smiled and took the mug, her favorite one with all the Avengers on it. Taking a sip she walked on sock-clad feet towards the main living room where the massive tree was. Her dad followed in his War Machine slippers. 

Walking into the living room Maria was greeted with the same amazing sight she had been every day for close to a month. The twenty-foot behemoth stood front and center in the living room. Decorated in Captain America’s colors, this year, it stood with red, white, and blue reamed.

Red spiral ornaments hung in a slow spiral up the tree. Then there were spirals of shimmering white garland in thick fluffy strands. They gleamed under the light. The final spiral of the three colors were massic blue orb ornaments, the classic shape. They were not metallic like their red counterparts but were softly shining. The Christmas lights were, not by Maria’s choice but Tony’s, little Captain America shields. They were strung counter to the other spirals of ornaments and garlands. 

Tony found the tree amusing. Steve, not so much. Of course normally whoever’s turn it was to be represented by the tree was upset with  _ Tony _ . Tony made sure to make the tree annoying to the person, somehow. The person who had found it amusing when Maria had chosen them for the Aven-Tree (named by Clint) had been Thor. 

Thor, unlike what most people believed, understood many traditions from Earth. Some of the, shall we say,  _ finer points _ escaped him sometimes but he knew the traditions and could participate. He personally loved Christmas and thought the idea of gift giving was, to quote him, “A grand idea! I must give you the best of the gifts!” So, naturally, he loved when Maria chose him as the Avenger of the year. The tree that year had had many a fake Mjolnir on it.

In any case, this year had been Captain America, just to annoy him. Steve had made a passing comment on how happy he had “not had a monstrosity of a tree decorated” for him. Maria had heard this and taken great offense at this. She had decided then and there, despite it having then being currently July, who was getting her tree for the year.

Steve, despite all his bravado and fluff about hating the tree actually quite,liked it. Thankfully Maria had stopped her dad from buying the red, white, and blue tree. He had found out about that later and nearly had a heart attack. Nothing regarding Christmas surprised him more than that tree. He found the tree charming though, even if it was wildly ostentatious by his standards. Then again, most things were by his Depression Era standards. Back to the present though.

Maria walked up to the tree and counted her presents. There was one from each Avenger, Pepper, Rhodey, Happy, the bots, the AIs, and two from her dad along with some mystery presents. They were wrapped in a variety of ways. The interesting one to her was the present that said it was from Thor because the wrapping was done in Iron Man heads. 

She heard some shifting behind her and turned to see her dad holding a small red wrapped box. It fit easily in the palm of his hand. The wrapping was old and worn. This gift had been bought years ago. Her eyes studied it and the small red bow on top. She knew it was hers for why else would her dad show it to her like this?

Her dad sat down on one of the couches and ushered her close. Sitting beside him she watched as his hands shook as he handed her the box. They were trembling something terrible and her dad looked like he was ready to cry.

( _ H a l l e l u j a h) _

Taking the box from him she checked the tag on it. It read “ _ Maria _ ” in beautiful cursive. It was almost calligraphy it was done so artfully. Her fingers reverently traced the writing for a moment. With gentle fingers she untied the bow. Normally she would just rip in but this present looked important and you didn’t rip those.

( _ H a l l e l u j a h) _

The paper unfolded to reveal a necklace box. With delicate movements, Maria opened it. Inside it was a rough diamond necklace. A small note sat on the necklace. Maria picked it up.

The note read, “ _ Merry Christmas, Mom. _ ”

( _ H a l l e l u j a h) _

It took but a second before Maria remembered her namesake, her grandmother. She knew they had died when her own dad was young. It hit her how old this present must be if it was bought that Christmas. How long had her dad held on to this? Years, decades even, and he had given it to  _ her _ .

Her own eyes welled up with tears and she sat the jewelry aside to hug her dad who clutched her tightly to his chest. He had given her the gift to remind her to always love her family, for you never knew when they might leave. She knew this and she loved him for it.

Her dad’s body shook as he hid his face in her shoulder to cry some. She didn’t mind because she was doing the same thing to him. Her own shoulder shook as she whispered, “Thank you, Dad.”

Later that night at the annual Stark Christmas party with all the supers and agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (even the Director Fury) no one really noticed Maria’s new jewelry. One friend, James, Steve’s son, commented on how nice it was. Her hand hovered over her necklace before she replied, “Thanks, it was my grandmas.”

* * *

 

_ Maybe there’s a God above _

_ But all I’ve ever learn from love _

_ Is how to shoot someone who outdrew you _


	2. Chapter 2

Eight years, fourteen Rescue suits, and ten boyfriends later.

* * *

 

The army was huge. Maria could feel her heart sink. She and the New Avengers had been called in for the fight alongside their parents.  Still, she took a deep breath and said, “TADASHI, we ready?”

Her AI chirped to life and her familiar green displays gleamed at her. Chipper, as always, TADASHI said, “Yes ma’am. Care to dance?”

“Avengers, assemble!” she called to her team.

Her team either leaped or some, like herself and Torin (Thor’s daughter), flew off the roof. They crashed into Thanos’ army with a fury rivaling their older family members.

Maria flew over to her dad and together they took charge of the air with Riri and Rhodey. The Iron Legion was assisting on the ground with help from the JAMES, BUCHANAN, STEVEN, NATASHA, and YINSEN AIs. They had all been made by Maria and, while new to their role of piloting the Iron Legion with JARVIS, were doing amazing jobs of it. The Legion was currently fifty strong.

Counting both coasts Avengers, the New Avengers, the X-men, and the Fantastic Four plus assorted villains turned temporary hero and other loners there were close to a hundred humans. Their army was large for Earth but still, the enemies just kept coming. 

She could see Wolverine and Sabretooth mowing through them out of the corner of her eye but their efforts were in vain. The storm around them struck lightning down so often it was a wonder there was any more charge to pull from the clouds. Entire areas of the battlefield were covered in various forms of ice, fire, or magical arrays. When she took a dive towards Strange she could see the Enchantress and Doom working with him to keep the civilians they were tasked with protecting safe.

The three, no four, America’s (Ms. America and Young America and both Captain America’s) were fighting a bunch of HYDRA goons who had decided to join the other side. Aided by the She-Hulk they were fine for now. 

Spotting Hulk getting overwhelmed Maria swooped down and fire her repulsors on the two on the Hulk’s face. Roaring in anger she helped the Hulk get the rest off of him. A rather rough pat on the head and a “Good Red” later she was off back into the sky.

The fight wore on and they got tired meaning the next shift of heroes came in but those in armor suits just kept fighting, letting their AIs control the suits while they “napped” in them. This was when Phoenix-Jean-Marvel Girl, whatever she was going by now, Magneto, and the Fantastic Four joined the fray while the same number left to rest.

Eventually, someone got a lucky shot or two. War Machine went down and so did Ironheart. Both were able to fly back to the tower but the repairs were taking precious time.

Maria and her dad flew down to ground level and officially joined the fray as combatants. They landed in the “Patent Pending Iron Man Pose,” on one knee with one gauntlet raised to fire. Fire they did.

They came up with unibeams back to back and did a half circle turn. The closest fifty enemies were taken out but they just kept coming. Young America, James, held up his shield for them to do a combo move and she used her repulsors to blow back another row of the enemies. 

It was then she noticed what the enemies looked like. Their bodies were humanoid but the way their faces shifted bothered her. Their features kept shifting to different people she knew, or rather, had known. They were dead people. Those who had fallen and it was her fault.  Maria’s hand shook as she killed one with the face of a little girl she had just missed saving last year.

The fight wore on and her reactor was running low on power. Lasering her way through yet  _ another _ circle of the enemies an energy blast got a lucky hit in and she went flying. Landing in a crumpled heap on top of a pile of bodies (of which the smell her gag despite the scent blockers on the suit), she went to get up but some blood, hers or the bodies she wasn’t sure, had leaked into the joints so they sparked and creaked before trapping her in a half kneel.

The second energy blast sent her over the top of the pile. TADASHI was flashing warning light in her face and telling her all the data she already knew. She bit her lip. This looked like it was it. She watched as the enemies stood at the top with their metal piercing weapons.

“‘Dashi, tell dad. Tell him, god. Tell him I’m sorry,” she whispered as she saw the lance come for her. 

She was laying on her back propped up on her elbows.  One hand came up to shield her from a blow that never came. Instead, a wet spray coated her face. 

Her eyes shot open to see her dad bracing himself with one hand on each side of her head. His faceplate was up and his eyes were painfully wide. Coughing, blood sprayed Maria’s faceplate, which was still closed. 

Daring to look down she saw the lance had gone through his chest and was stopped just above her own heart. He had saved her life…. At the cost of his own. 

She sobbed as he opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. 

His eyes clouded up and the faceplate snapped down even as blood continued to leak onto her armor. Jerkily the armor got up, ripped the lance out of itself and set itself on the attack. Her dad was gone, all that remained was his body.

She remained there, for she couldn’t move due to her leg joints being completely locked. For a indeterminate time. Her comms were off but her tracker wasn’t. This allowed her to cry and scream to her heart’s content. TADASHI tried to comfort her but all her comforts involved her dad’s singing and his piano playing.

Eventually, both the girl and her AI fell silent. When Miss America appeared and picked her up she remained still in her arms. She was carried to a medbay bed where the suit disengaged. Opening up she crawled out of to find grieving friends and family. 

“What happened?” she asked America, “Did we win?”

America nodded after a short pause. She seemed to chew on her words for a second before replying, “It was your dad, he wielded the Gauntlet. It was too much, he’s gone.”

In a flash of anger, Maria snapped, “He was gone before that.”

America shook her head and said, “His suit vaporized. All that was left was this.”

Maria’s whole body quaked as she was handed a cracked arc reactor. It no longer glowed the blue she was used to seeing when she had a nightmare or when she hugged her dad. It smelled faintly of something with coconut and motor oil. She felt a tear drip down her face.

* * *

 

_ She tied you to the kitchen chair _

_ She broke your throne and she cut your hair _

_ And from your lips she drew a _

_ H a l l e l u j a h _


End file.
